Sandon Literature Festival: Theo Clarke

I continue to campaign to ensure that all mothers in this country and around the world get the care they need and deserve

In an emotional debate in the House of Commons in October 2023, former Stafford MP Theo Clarke broke down in tears as she described being rushed into emergency surgery after the birth of her daughter, terrified she was going to die.
After receiving a standing ovation in the Commons, she was quickly inundated with accounts from other mothers of their traumatic birth experiences, and she later chaired the first UK inquiry into birth trauma.
Her urgent and compelling book – “Breaking the Taboo: Why We Need to Talk About Birth Trauma” – aims to start a conversation that is as essential as it is overdue.
Theo joins us to discuss her book and why, although birth trauma is a huge issue, there is still a real taboo around speaking about it.